Thirteen-year-old Mateo Evangelista, like many other students in Greater Victoria, is starting his summer break with a newfound sense of freedom, thanks to the Ride It Forward (RIF) program.
Evangelista received a refurbished bicycle just weeks before school let out, a gift that brought a wide smile to his face.
"It just feels really nice to have my own bike now," he exclaimed.
RIF, a volunteer-run initiative, has been collecting and restoring used bicycles since December for deserving students and families.
On June 17, Evangelista, along with his father Edmark and sister Misha, joined dozens of other excited recipients at a bicycle distribution event held at Vic High's Neighbourhood Learning Centre on Fernwood Road.
RIF founder Michael Erlanger expressed his joy at seeing the children's reactions.
"To have a bike and to be given a bike – I remember how that felt," he said. "And to unwrap your brand-new helmet and your brand-new lock that belongs to you and no one else – it's like the holidays.”
Inspired by a similar program in his hometown of Winnipeg, Erlanger partnered with local organizations like Friends of Rails to Trails – Vancouver Island and Recyclistas Bike Shop to gather and refurbish bikes.
Bikes restored were stored at the University of Victoria’s security department until the actual hand-off event on June 17.
Victoria Electric Bikes took on the restoration work, while Greater Victoria Canadian Tire generously donated essential accessories like helmets and locks.
Samantha Rubin, a multicultural liaison support worker at SD61’s Welcome and Learning Centre, played a crucial role in connecting the program with students in need.
Two local schools, Ecole George Jay Elementary School and Central Middle School, identified deserving students who would benefit from the bicycles.
The event saw at least 52 students receive complete bike packages, their faces beaming as they tested out their new rides.
Parents also shared in the excitement.
Jacy Low, whose 11-year-old daughter Alyssa received a bike, expressed her gratitude.
"Bikes are expensive these days, and to have one given to my daughter is amazing, because I would not have been able to afford to get her one," she said.
The program secured a total of 75 bicycles, with some being donated to recycling agencies and others sold privately to raise funds for the initiative.
“Until now we've run on zero dollars, but somehow we've made it work, Erlanger shared.
Erlanger acknowledged the crucial support of sponsors and volunteers, namely, Samantha Rubin, Rae Hull, Jane Duerksen and the RIF team of mechanics David Cybuslki, Larry Robinson and Dan Tombs.
What’s next for Ride it Forward?
Erlanger said, they’re going to take a big breath and learn from the experience.
"We're going to study a lot of lessons learned... we didn't get it all right because it was so organic and it just happened so fast," he said, hinting at a possible Recycle 2026 in the future.
